Teguh: Scenes from a rich life lived in film

Teguh: Scenes from a rich life lived in film

By Bruce Emond

JAKARTA (JP): Director Teguh Karya speaks in fits and starts,
fragmented sentences dragging on in long pauses in the search for
words.

Aging and illness have taken their toll on arguably the most
distinguished of the country's older generation of film and
theater directors.

"He's had problems with high blood pressure and high blood
sugar," said one of his assistants when Teguh wanders out of
earshot. "He is maybe not the way you remember him five years
ago, especially in his speech, but he is doing fine."

His appearance has changed little over the years. Sipping a
glass of tea in the leafy courtyard of his 19th century house in
Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Teguh remains a lean, casually
dressed figure with a distinctive shock of silvery-gray hair.

The house-cum-studio (he has never married and lives in a
smaller home across the street) is a museum of photographs and
memorabilia from his career, dating back to the Teater Populer
troupe in the 1950s.

Despite his infirmity and the sometimes poignant reminders of
friends and colleagues now gone, Teguh does not suggest an archly
drawn sketch of pathos out of Tennessee Williams, one of his
favorite playwrights.

He seems instead to be taking on the mantle of the grand old
man of the now somewhat threadbare Indonesian film industry.

His pithy comments are often precious insights into a body of
directorial work -- Cinta Pertama, Ranjang Pengantin, November
1828, Doea Tanda Mata, Di Balik Kelambu and Ibunda -- which
rank among the major works of Indonesian cinema. And although he
easily forgets newly learned details, Teguh can call up spot-on
recollections and names of actors from years ago.

As his gallery of photographs testifies, he has also been both
a friend and mentor to some of the leading actors of the last 30
years. His acting ensemble has included Slamet Rahardjo, Alex
Komang, the late Tuti Indra Malaon and Christine Hakim.

The latter -- of whom Teguh once said he could "fill a book"
with reminiscences -- continues to live up to his motto that
acting is a skill and not merely about selling pretty faces.

In the twilight of his career, recognition of Teguh's enormous
contribution to Indonesian film history is flowing in.

Last month, in honor of his 64th birthday, a retrospective of
his works was held in Jakarta. There was also a discussion on
state television network TVRI, with Christine and Slamet among
the panelists, about his role in the development of local movies.

Teguh spoke recently about his career and his life today.

Question: There have been a lot of stories about your illness
-- how are you doing?

Answer: I'm doing fine, the same as before. I'm doing a few
projects, doing some different things.

Q: With all due respect, you seem to have taken on the role of
the grand old man of Indonesian film. Ayu Azhari acknowledged in
an interview in The Sunday Post that you played an important role
in convincing her of the meaning of acting...

A: I really strive with my work and with others to show respect.
They know that I do that. I respect them sincerely because I know
we can help each other. I always remember that we are not alone
in this world.

I worked with Ayu on Ibunda. She's very sweet, a good person.
She has a desire to act. She is not difficult to work with and
she's very bright.

Q: Five years ago, you told me about one actor in particular
(known for his pretty-boy looks, he eventually married a much
older woman) who didn't live up to your expectations...

A: You need young actors because of their talent and spirit. I
thought he had those qualities. Unfortunately, I was disappointed
by him. The outside was different from the inner. He didn't know
dedication.

Q: Which is more important in the film world -- talent or desire?

A: I would have to say that, in acting, it is talent. If you are
talented, you live in the character, you want to be part of it.
When you only have the desire, you can sometimes get caught up in
the game of celebrity, in popularity. Many live like that.

For myself, I haven't made enough films because I don't want
to be a factory -- the factories are the producers. You must have
time to create, and also look for money. Both are important for
directors, including for me. I just try to do the best I can with
what I have.

Q: You have had a long relationship with Christine Hakim. How did
you first meet?

A: Well, I had heard about this girl and we were looking for
someone for the movie (Cinta Pertama). Everybody said that she
was thin. And I met her and, yes, she was indeed skinny. I
thought she would do anyway because an actor doesn't always need
to have a great body.

But when we were in the car afterwards, the producer said to
me that we couldn't use her, she was too thin and she had no
chest. So I turned to him and said: "Are we selling a film or are
we selling breasts?". And she made that movie, and we did several
more together.

I respect her fully because she has really tried to learn what
acting is all about. She is attractive, bright and skilled. I saw
Daun Di Atas Bantal before it was finished. Both Garin (Nugroho,
the film's director) and Christine are my friends.

Q: There are a lot of complaints about the status of the
Indonesian movie industry and the prevalence of sinetron TV
series...

A: The thing is that the sinetron are not the problem; it all
depends on what you want to do with the medium. They don't really
know what they are doing. If they knew, they would make better
products.

You know, (Akira) Kurosawa made TV films, and a lot of them
are really good, so good I asked for copies of them. It comes
back to the issue that it's not the medium but how we use it.
Some of them are good, and some are really terrible. It depends
on the attitude of the person who makes them, and what they want.

I did a lot of adaptation from Tennessee Williams because I
really liked his works. Kawin Lari (Elopement) was inspired by
The Glass Menagerie. His characters live the way a lot of
Indonesians live, but they don't realize this. They don't know
that his works are close to us, that the people he shows are just
like us all.

Before I knew Shakespeare, I was afraid of his works, that
they would be too high-browed. But when I finally read them, I
saw how there were things I could relate to, even as an
Indonesian.

Q: What have been the most important influences in your life and
career?

A: Family is important. I grew from my family upbringing, not
just by myself. You grow from your surroundings, learning from
others. What's important is that I like to live.

I live with a lot of friends. What I have was gained from
studying my friends, from being around them. We all get to know,
to learn from each other.

Friendship is not easily lost. Poor people have wealth in that
they have lots of friends who they can be with.

Q: What do you hope for now in your career?

A: I just hope that what I started in theater will be continued
by others. Theater introduced me to a lot of issues. That is a
good thing.

I guess I am like Tennessee Williams and other artists. I am
always looking to do something new, something that others have
not done.